


Hooves are not to be used in the academy on cadets

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Academy Era, Gen, Pre-Series, Short Story, Star Fleet Academy (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 07:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11642193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: And apparently, someone didn't get the memo not to insult a prey species.





	Hooves are not to be used in the academy on cadets

Admiral Gozi walked down the hall, the only thoughts on her mind was to best begin a conversation with a cadet who had gotten themselves into trouble. The headmaster of Star Fleet Academy had approached the woman about speaking to the Kelpian. She remembered the proceedings when it came to the home planet of the Kelpian entering in the united federation of planets just last year. First officer George Kirk, Senior, had head that proceeding filling in for his ill taken captain. Gozi looked at the padd once more to see what damage the Kelpian had done. It made her grimace. She made her way into the campus security section placing the small, portable padd into his pocket.  
  
"Admiral Gozi,” Lieutenant Pond said, standing up and her hands locked behind her back. “what brings you here?”  
  
"I need to speak with the cadet," Gozi said. Pond nodded her head then sat back down. Gozi walked forward toward the force field where resting on the bench was the unusual, sitting Kelpian with one leg over the other reading a novel. His eased, blue eyes looked toward the woman once he approached the field then placed the novel to the side. By his foot rested a pair of specifically designed boots. Instead of ordinary feet, he had hooves. "Cadet Saru."  
  
“Admiral," Saru said, recognizing her.  
  
“I heard the incident you had in the mess hall,” Gozi said.  
  
“That was no incident,” Saru said. “that was a conflict.”  
  
“A conflict. . .” Gozi said. “I don’t suppose this conflict had anything to do with your heritage."  
  
“They called me a coward,” Saru said. “That I am not.”  
  
“I believe you, Cadet,” Gozi said. “but was it necessary to use your hooves?”  
  
“It was the heat of the moment,” Saru said. “I did not intent for my hooves to hit them in the ribs.”  
  
“Or their nose,” Gozi said, approaching the field. “I understand your predicament is unique. . . and your advanced skill sets would be useful in the field,” she folded her arms. “I hate to see it go to waste and having your federation visa to be revoked,” the Kelpian looked up. “another act of aggression in the academy will lead you to be expelled. Do you want that?”  
  
“No, sir,” Saru said.  
  
“Did the cadets threaten you?” Gozi asked.  
  
“No,” Saru said. “It was. . .” the Kelpian sighed, shaking his head. “Just because I have highly evolved survival instincts to evade the main predatory species of my planet does not mean I am most likely flee in the face of _danger_.”  
  
“What you join star fleet for?” Gozi asked.  
  
“To be useful,” Saru said.

"Don't we all. . ." Gozi said.

"To be a captain," Saru added.  
  
“If you want to be an officer then you must not resort to using your hooves against your colleagues,” Gozi said. “Academy can stand fights with fists and words but using your feet is more useful in P.E,” Saru nodded. “I want you not to do that again.”  
  
“They will come at me,” Saru said.  
  
“Just because you use your feet to escape from your predator doesn’t mean people can recover from it easily,” Gozi said. Saru contemplated the implications of the reply lowering his head. "Your species may be deemed cowardly: just don’t let the prey status define you. Strength is not in what our species define us. Unity is our strength. Together, we're stronger. Status doesn't matter. And it should not matter to you. In time, they will stop. The reputation of your species will be gone in a generation.”  
  
Saru nodded.  
  
“I will restrain myself from using my hooves for that matter in the next altercation,” Saru said.  
  
A hint of a pleased smile appeared on the admiral’s face.  
  
“You are suspended for a day,” Gozi said. “I want you to spend that day by carefully thinking how to best handle a situation like you were in before without majorly injuring other cadets,” Saru stood up from the chair towering over her at six foot eight. “is that understood?”  
  
“Yes, admiral,” Saru said. “I understand.”  
  
“Good,” Gozi said. "the next time I hear your name, it must be about your career excelling. Don’t let me down.”  
  
Gozi turned in the direction of the security officer where she gave the woman a nod and made her way out.

* * *

Saru was the first of his kind to be accepted into Star Fleet.

One of a kind, his parents had proudly touted their horn regarding it.

Saru had the most courage of his family. It would take some time before others would gather their courage and join him in space. Star Fleet did not normally let in species that were near preys to the dominant life forms of the home world. During his suspension, after being released, the Kelpian decided to do some mountain climbing. It was a afternoon well spent. The Kelpian returned to the academy that seemed smaller by comparison to the mountain range. It was man made. Humans had the advantages of being the predator thousands of years. Most of their federation members were predators as well. Prey status species were known to flee in the face of death. Saru's species, however, pulled all the stops to defend themselves when it came to the predator.

Running was the last option to take of the subjects.

"Mister Saru!" Cadet Wrinkler caught up with the man. One of Saru's many classmates.

"Yes, Wrinkler?" Saru said, resting on the bench placing his padd onto his lap.

"I heard you gave Furgurson a beating!" Wrinkler punched Saru's shoulder. "Good for you!"

Saru looked at him, confused.

"That is not something to be proud of," Saru said.

"He's been talking about you in a negative light," Wrinkler said. "I bet that he thinks twice before demeaning you again."

"If he does," Saru said. "he will be ignored."

Wrinkler sat down alongside the Kelpian.

"I heard Admiral Gozi paid a visit," Wrinkler said.

"She did," Saru said.

"What she like?" Wrinkler asked. "She is the head of medical."  
  
"The new photos do not give her justice," Saru said. "however. . . is there any news about her going to areas with Klingons?"  
  
"No. . ." Wrinkler said. "why?"  
  
"I was only curious,"  Saru said. Wrinkler looked at him, skeptically.  
  
"Saru," Wrinkler said. "the last time you told me that, five minutes later we learned they were dead."  
  
"I sensed death," Saru said.  
  
"So you sense when someone is going to die or kill someone," Wrinkler said. Saru nodded in return.  
  
"I must continue studying for my warp core exam," Saru said.

"Good luck!" Wrinkler stood up then walked past the Kelpian.

Saru looked in the direction of the human then switched the screen to a live chat with his parents.

"So about that, mother, father. . ." Saru began.

* * *

"Hey coward!"

Saru and  his roommate Andrew kept walking ignoring the name calling.  
  
"Hey goat!"  
  
 Saru resumed his trek that was more of a model walking down the stage.  
  
"You look like a baby bird with goat legs!"  
  
Saru stopped, his fingers curling against the palm of his hands, and his anger rose then turned in the direction of the Tellarite. The Tellarite, compared to the Kelpian, was the height of a small child.  On his mind then came a million other subjects to argue about with the Tellarite to change the subject.The Tellarite appeared to be unharmed and well again from the short trip to the infirmary. There wasn't the swelling around from pig like nose.  The iconic, short beard seen from male and female. They had three fingers on each hand.  
  
"Your attempt at making a retro 21st century van able to blend in with today's society as your engineering project is not the best decision," Saru said. "and you must restrain yourself for your physical well being insulting me, Cadet Furgurson."  
  
 "Oh really?" Furgurson asked. "Instructor Selur said that my project was going well swimmingly."

"The eccentric instructor," Saru said. He would never understand why humans would see the positive in what was failing. Instructor Selur was a hybrid, half Tellarite/Human from Great Britain.

"Good woman," Furgurson said. "bad fashion, excellent approach to politics."  
  
"Salur is wrong," Saru said.

"Your attempt at making a motorcycle not rely on solar energy but instead off soil is more useless than mine," Furgurson argued.  
  
"Dirt will always be around," Saru said. "and solar energy is not easily found in the country side."  
  
"Why bother going to the country side?" Furgurson asked.  
  
"The wild life," Saru said. "studying the birds and the insects for a project. There are different types of dirt even the ones that you take mud baths within on Tellar Prime," Furgurson raised both eyebrows in surprise. "this argument is ineffective and will go in circles. Wheels and dirt get messy so why not use the mess?"

"You make a good argument," then Furgurson darted by the Kelpian.  
  
Saru relaxed.  
  
"Good job, Saru!" Andrew said. "I am surprised that you didn't punch him."  
  
"I have been warned against using my feet," Saru said. "I should use my head for these incidents," he tapped along the side of his  forehead. "might I add. . . it was difficult."  
  
"Seesh," Andrew said. "tell me, did you kick colleagues like that on your home world when you were angry?"  
  
"It's a common tactic used in far more dark purposes," Saru said."That is all I can say."  
  
"What kind of motorcycle you got there?" Andrew asked.  
  
"You would not approve it," Saru said. "and it would disgust you. I do not wish for you to remember your short time spent with me."  
  
"I don't get that disgusted this easily," Andrew protested.  
  
"Must I remind you that you failed to walk in to a room with a holographic rhino that had spikes on its spine and armor," Saru said. "you were visibly disgusted."  
  
"I was terrified," Andrew said. "you would be if a larger version of your predator appeared in the middle of the room."  
  
"I will not show you," Saru said.  
  
"Don't make me find out through security," Andrew said.  
  
"Security will not be able to find it," Saru said.  
  
"Then how do you find it?" Andrew asked.  
  
"It is always by my side," Saru said. "your class will begin in two point three seconds."  
  
Andrew looked down toward his wrist watch.  
  
"Oh damn!" Andrew said. "you're right. See you in a hour!" the short human sped down the hall passing by other cadets.

* * *

Saru was taking a nap on his bed with a book planted on his forehead. Wrinkler dashed into the room then repeatedly shook the Kelpian by the shoulders shouting, "wake up, wake up, wake up!" the Kelpian bolted up letting the book land onto his lap with wide eyes. Wrinkler  yanked the man to his feet. Saru was in cadet red pants and short sleeved black shirt on while the jacket was draped over a chair. For a Kelpian, he was perplexed, and it was not every day to see a giant being lead by a dark shorter man. They brushed past the other cadets making it to the the waiting room. Cadets stepped aside giving the two men room to fly on past them.  
  
"Mr Wrinkler, what is the meaning of this?" Saru asked.  
  
"It's about Admiral Gozi," Wrinkler said, gesturing toward the screen as everyone's eyes were focused on it.  
  
"Oh," Saru said.  
  
Admiral Gozi was being led away with hands behind her back cuffed in a orange onesie.

The sight at first was alarming for the Kelpian, even more of a shock, as his jaw had fallen.

It had been one week since their first meeting and to see her being carried off this way was a huge blow.

Gozi was the kind to look up towards due to her alien upbringing due to a tragic accident. Adopted by Andorians as one of their own. It was hard to believe that someone who came from a loyal family would become a criminal. Someone who devoted their entire lives to doing good now on the other side of the law.  The text below on a red strip read 'Admiral Gozi sentenced to a penal colony for murder'. Saru stood there feeling Wrinkler's hand letting go of his own then placed his hand on Saru's shoulder and squeezed. Saru felt as though his world had fallen apart. Death had indeed followed her afterwards but not in the sentence that his friend had thought. She had committed murder. Why? Media reports would cover that. His hands were trembling. The Kelpian sat down onto the nearest chair placing his hand on the side of his face. Wrinkler softly made a comment, "I am sorry," earning a head raise.  
  
"You had no part in it," Saru said. "your attempt to sympathize with me, however," he sucked in a breath. "are applauded."

It was decided.

Saru was not going to fall under that level.

Never, would he ever, throw away a life like that away.

Saru was going to be better than her one way or another.

**The End.**

**Author's Note:**

> I did not want to fridge Gozi for the sake of canonically and fanonically adding a idea to what Saru's background could have been in the academy. Gozi was at first a man, a commodore, then turned to a woman once writing in that rank. Because I wondered to myself what a Commodore did and it wasn't thoroughly explained in wikipedia and it was a short lived rank irl.
> 
> So she became a admiral. I decided to rescind that thinking how about putting in Jim Kirk as a familiar face as a instructor. I did more research half way in. Jim Kirk attended SFA in 2252. I guessed that Saru attended SFA in the late 2230's to 2240's somewhere between there since it does take a awfully long time to climb the ranks in universe. *points to Burnham being under Georgiou's command for seven years,Riker being under various commands and slowly climbing the track, and the list is long* and also Jim Kirk was still shaping up to be the man we know today so he couldn't have been there!
> 
> So Kirk was changed back to Gozi who has no first name.
> 
> And Wrinkler? I made him up on the fly.
> 
> Including Andrew, who used to be Andrea then changed to Andrew because I felt like I had too many women. 
> 
> I DID ACTUAL RESEARCH REGARDING TELLARITES. I wanted an alien cadet. So there. 
> 
> And also Tellarites make more sense to make an argument randomly.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this story!


End file.
